Page 3 of The Present

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By 9:15 Tessa sat curled up on the couch, flipping back and forth between the classic It’s A Wonderful Life and the equally classic Miracle on 34th Street. She frowned. I need some “bah-humbug.” One hundred and three channels later she determined no one was into the darker aspects of Christmas that night. Where was The Nightmare Before Christmas when you really wanted it? Well, Hal’s life would certainly be nightmarish when she dropped Janice’s little bombshell on him.

True to her word, with presents in hand, Janice had tripped merrily out the door at 8:30, clad in a black Vera Wang lace insert corset dress, Hal’s diamond pendant nestled between her breasts, drawing the gaze of anyone with eyes in their head to Janice’s decolletage. Tess could never have pulled off an outfit like that, but then she’d never have wanted to. Their mother had always said Tess and her sister were like night and day. Truer words had never been spoken. And because Janice was three years older, she had always managed to bully Tess into doing exactly what she wanted.

As a result, Tess was used to doing Janice’s dirty work—it came with the territory of having a beautiful blonde sister who always got what she wanted by any means possible. It didn’t matter if Janice needed a paper written for school, or a particular shade of lipstick at 10:00 at night, or a date with the captain of the football team. Tess was the one who wrote the paper, pilfered the lipstick from her best friend, and locked the head cheerleader in the chem lab so Janice could console the unwitting football captain. It simply came with the territory, part of the curse of being related to her sister.

Which brought Tess back to tonight’s upcoming debacle. Having done so much of Janice’s drudgery, Tess wouldn’t have minded delivering the bad news so much if the guy had been a perv, or too geeky for words. Although hell, come to think of it, even geeks deserved better than a second hand brush off. Still, she could have dug deep, thought of her coming bonus, and informed him Janice had moved on. If she was feeling generous, she would have told the guy the break-up was for the best and he was well rid of Janice. The problem was, Tess liked Hal. With one final glare at the screen, she tossed the remote onto the coffee table and went to the bar in search of solace.

Tess poured herself a stiff rum and coke and stirred her drink, watching idly as the coke foamed over the rim. Hal was one of the good guys. He had rugged good looks, old school manners, and treated her sister with generosity in the six months they’d been together. Tess had met him several times and liked him immediately. They’d talked for quite some time at Janice’s birthday party last month and she appreciated his offbeat sense of humor. And, if Janice could be believed about anything, the man was good in bed. Very good.

Tess shook her head. How did a bitch like her sister get all the most desirable men? Did men actually like being shit on? Was that Tess’s problem? Did she treat the men in her life too nice? She shook her head and took a large gulp. Anyone with a brain could see Hal was too good for Janice. He deserved a woman who would want him for him, not for the position he might get in the company. How could that be considered sexy?

Jeeze, all a woman had to do was look at Hal, for God’s sake. The man was freakin’ gorgeous. Tall, or at least tall enough for Tess to feel short when she stood beside him. Chestnut colored wavy hair, cut short and smart. A handsome face, kind brown eyes, and lips that looked sooo kissable.

Shit, where had that thought come from? Tess started and her drink slopped over the rim. Was she attracted to her sister’s boyfriend? She shuddered and reached for more rum. The thought seemed incestuous—or something you’d find on Jerry Springer. Well, she and Hal were too tame for Jerry Springer’s show. They weren’t related at all. Not even by marriage. Yeah, and now that wasn’t even going to happen thanks to Janice.

Two and a half rum and cokes later, she was convinced her sister’s rejection was for Hal’s own good, though he wouldn’t see it that way. He had given Janice a diamond necklace for her birthday. Crap! I hope he’s not giving her a ring for Christmas!

Tess drained her glass.

Meandering unsteadily back into the living room, she plopped down on the sofa and peered dizzily at the wall clock. Ten o’clock. Maybe his flight had been delayed. Or better yet, maybe he was too jet-lagged to come over tonight. No need to rush over here, right from the airport—

A knock thundered on the door and Tessa jumped, then groaned and cursed her sister once more. The next quarter of an hour was going to be hell.

She sighed, shook her head and dragged her feet all the way to the door. The cold air that rushed in made her shiver as much as the figure in the doorway. Silhouetted by the light of the hallway, Hal’s tall, well-built frame seemed to loom over her.

“Tessa? Hi. What are you doing here?” He frowned, then seemed to just accept her presence.

His kind, low-pitched voice made Tess feel even worse. She would have to figure out some way to put Janice through this much hell someday.

“Hey, Hal. Come on in.”

“Thanks.” He walked into the living room, his head sweeping side to side.

“Uh, Janice isn’t here.” She shut the door and sent up a prayer she could make this mercifully quick. “Can I take your coat?” Oh, shit! No, you don’t want him to stay! But he had it unbuttoned and handed it to her by the time she reached him. A Gucci herringbone tweed that was probably worth more than two months’ rent for her apartment. And Janice was giving this up? The bitch was certifiably crazy.

“Where is she?” The puzzled frown on his face made Tess’s stomach churn. She laid the overcoat over one of the bar chairs, taking her time to make sure it wouldn’t get creased. Putting off the inevitable as long as possible.

He cocked his head, and she made the mistake of making eye contact with him. His big brown eyes burrowed into her. “I told her I’d come right over after my flight got in, and we could catch the end of her office party. I was delayed a little with the traffic. Seems everyone’s going somewhere for the holiday.”

Swift and painless, like a surgeon. “She went without you, Hal. She said to tell you…” The words stuck in Tess’s throat, and she had to clear it before she could go on. “She said she didn’t think it would work out between you two.” God, she could still barely say the words. What must it be like to hear them? “That it was over.”

Hal stood in the middle of the room, staring at her in disbelief. Then his brows came down in a thunderous frown as the lines of his handsome face hardened. His hand clenched on a small, brightly wrapped box Tess noticed only when the paper ripped under the strain.

Oh, shit! He did get her a ring! I’m going to kill the bitch myself.

He must have seen her eyes on the present because he gave a sharp laugh and thrust the box at her. “Here, Tess. You take it instead. Payment for services rendered as messenger.”

Shaking her head, she backed up a step. She wanted nothing more to do with this whole fiasco except to fix herself another drink then get the hell out of here and go home. “I can’t take that, Hal. You should return it.”

“Open it.” The command was harsh.

Hands trembling, she took the small box. “I’m really sorry she did this to you, Hal.” She looked at his face, but it had been wiped clean of emotion.

“Open it. Please?” The return to a softer voice gave his words a pleading tone, and Tess just couldn’t disappoint the man again tonight.

“Okay.” She finished tearing the red and white striped paper away, and exposed a small, burgundy velvet case. Heart in her throat, she raised the lid of the clamshell to reveal diamond earrings. A match for the swirled pendant on the necklace he’d given Janice. “Oh, Hal. They’re beautiful.”